Although Montreal is known for its cold and harsh winters, it does get very warm summers and, in between those two seasons, beautiful fall colours during autumn. Although the exact timing of the peak colours does change from year to year, it’s usually one of the last places in Quebec to reach its peak, making it a great opportunity to see some beautiful fall foliage if you’ve missed out on the earlier colours elsewhere in the province. Below we present our guide to exploring the Best Places to See Fall Colors in Montreal to help you get the most out of the city’s beautiful autumn season.
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If you want to get outside the city, be sure to check out our page on Best Places To See The Fall Foliage And Autumn Colours Near Montreal.
Mount Royal Park
The park is the city’s most famous, in part because it is home to the mountain that the city of Montreal is named after, but also because it offers the best views of the city from the Kondiaronk Belvedere. Beautiful in all seasons, the park takes on a special charm come autumn. With several kilometres of hiking trails, it’s the perfect place to get lost in fall foliage while still in the city. In particular, Beaver Lake is particularly photogenic in the mornings, when the water is still and reflects the surrounding trees like a mirror.
Old Port
Montreal’s Old Port is a touristic hotspot throughout the year and a prime destination for anyone wanting to enjoy a good time in the city. Although it’s not typically associated with a place to enjoy the fall foliage, what little trees are there (compared to other areas on this list) make the surrounding old-world environment that much more pleasing. In particular, the trees around the city’s Ferris Wheel turn a bright red towards the end of September.
Parc Jean-Drapeau
Parc Jean Drapeau is Montreal’s third-largest park in Montreal and comprises two islands (Saint Helen’s Island and the artificial island Notre Dame Island) just off the shore of Old Montreal in the Saint Lawrence River. The islands were the site of the Expo 67 World’s Fair and today are filled with beautiful forested walking paths, an amusement park, the Montreal Casino, Formula One’s Gille Villeneuve race track, and beautifully manicured gardens such as the Floralies Gardens. You’ll also find notable for the remnants of Expo 67, most of which are still in use, though few are still standing. The American and French pavilions are the best preserved, functioning today as the Biosphere and Casino respectively. The park is easily reachable from the Old Port by subway or ferry, or if you don’t mind a little exercise, via a short 15-minute bike ride.
Lachine Canal
The Lachine Canal is a lovely waterway that connects the Old Port to the southwest of the city (Lachine). It was originally designed for ships to bypass the rapids in the St-Lawrence River, but today it is mostly used for recreation and is paralleled by beautiful bike and pedestrian paths.
Parc René Lévesque
Parc René Lévesque is a beautiful park located between a jetty between the Saint Lawrence River and the end of the Lachine Canal. The park features a bicycle path, a walking path, an arboretum, and a sculpture garden consisting of twenty-two sculptures by Quebec artists in the park.
Parc Angrignon
Angrignon Park is an urban park in the Southwest borough of Montreal. It is one of the city’s largest occupying a total area of 97 hectares and includes a 1.1 kilometer-long lake. There are several streams, small ponds and hidden paths, making it a perfect weekend autumn getaway within the city.
The Montréal Botanical Garden
Montreal’s Botanical Gardens are definitely beautiful any time of year. But what makes them particularly enticing come autumn is not just the colourful foliage, but also the nighttime colours you can experience during its annual fall lantern festival.
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For more information, this Quebec tourism page shows a map (you will have to scroll down a bit to see the map) that is updated weekly and that highlights when specific areas in the regions are hitting their peak fall colours, a great tool to plan your weekend autumn getaways!
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